Why can’t the Gospel writers get their story straight? Matthew says there were two women, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, who saw one angel who glowed “like a burst of lightning” (28:1, 3). Mark says three women went to the tomb of Jesus and saw a young man in a white robe (16:1, 5). Luke says there were several women who saw two men wearing clothes that had a dazzling shine (23:55; 24:1, 4). John says Mary Magdalene was alone, and that she saw two white-robed angels (20:11-12).

2

The story of the death and resurrection of Jesus is framed in miracles. There were earthquakes the day he died and the day he rose from the dead (27:51, 28:2). There was darkness at noon on the day he died (27:45). There were dead men and women walking (27:52). There was a glowing angel (28:3). But there’s almost nothing of this written in Roman history. Why?

3

What do you think of the cover-up story that the Jewish leaders convinced the soldiers to buy into (28:12-14)?

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What do you think the followers of Jesus thought happened to the body of Jesus after the women told them that the tomb was empty and Jesus had risen from the dead?

5

Jesus told the disciples to “baptize the people” (28:19). John told the people, “I baptize you with water. But he’ll baptize you with the Holy Spirit” (Mark 1:8). Some Bible experts say this suggests that once the Holy Spirit comes, people won’t need to get baptized with water anymore. How do you react to that?

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LIFE APPLICATION. Jesus gave his disciples the kind of marching order often called the Great Commission. In today’s lingo, it might be called a “mission statement.” Jesus told them, “Go and make believers out of people everywhere. Go to all the nations” (28:19). Christians have been doing that for 2,000 years. We do it in a lot of different ways. What do you think are some of the best ways to make believers out of people?

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LIFE APPLICATION. Matthew leaves us with this final word from Jesus: “Remember this. I am with you every day and all the way to the last day” (28:20). How do we experience the presence of Jesus every day or any day, given that we have no idea what he looks like because we have never seen his face, shaken his hand, or heard his voice to know if he’s a bass or a tenor?

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LIFE APPLICATION. Some Christians say they resent the growth of Islam. Recent studies, such as one by the Pew Research Center, projects that during the next generation, Christianity will grow at a rate slightly higher than the overall population growth, 34 percent increase for Christians and 32 percent for the general population. Muslims are projected to grow at a rate of 70 percent. That’s partly because Muslims tend to have more children. And Muslims have more young adult followers than Christians do. What should be the Christian attitude toward people of other faiths?